Wrench



R. E. MOYER.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I2, I92].

mmws.

Patented Dec. 5, 1922.

Patented Dec. 5, 1922.

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RALPH E. T/IQYER, OF LUDING'I'ON, MICHIGAN,

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Application filed December 12, 1921. Serial No. 521,797.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, RALPH E. MOYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ludington, in the county of Mason and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Wrenches, oi-which the following is specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to wrenches, and more particularly to ratchet wrenches.

An object of the invention is to provide a wrench of this character including a socket member'which is detachably mounted in a handle, means being carried by the handle for controlling movement of the handle relative to the socket member and means carried by the handle for holding saidicontrolling means in operative or inoperative position. 1 It is also an object of the invention to provide a wrench of this character including a stepped handle, having a bearing member on one end adapted to receive a detachable socket member, the socket member being provided with teeth for engagement with pawls carried by the bearing member, and means carried by the bearing member to permit rotary movement of the bearing member relative to the handle, and prevent disengagement of the socket memher from the bearing member,

It is a further object of the invention to provide a wrench of this character wherein the pawls used to control the movement of the socket member are provided with cam extensions adapted to be engaged by a spring-pressed plate carried by the bearing member to hold the pawls'in their operative 0r inoperative positions.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more particularly described, fully claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which i V Figure 1 is a plan and sectional view of a ratchet wrench, constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, one

' of the pawls being shown in its inoperative position;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the tool,

a portion of the bearing member being shown in section; 1

Figure 3 is a detailed view of the jaw or socket member; and

Figure is a perspective view of one of p the pawls.

Referring to the drawings, 5 designates a handle member which is substantially stepped at its intermediate portion 6 to provide oifset end portions 7 and 8,said end portion 7 having its extremity substantially coiled to provide a loop or a hand grip, while secured to the extremity of the end portion 8 is a bearing member 9. i

The bearing member has an opening in one end for the reception of the, end 8 of the handle, while its oppositeend is closed, a socket or bearing 10 being provided in the last mentioned end portion of the bearing member, said socket extending through the side wall 11 of the bearing member, the opposite side wall 12 of the bearing member having a relatively small opening 13 which communicates with the bearing or socket 10. The side walls 14 and 15 of the bearing member are provided with registering slots 16 which communicate with the socket member 10, the opening in the firstmentioned end of the bearing member communicating with the socket member 10 so that the bear ing member is substantially hollow.

A socket or jaw member 17 is provided, said jaw member being made in various sizes according to the standard form oi nut, a number of said socket members of graduating sizes being provided for each handle so that the same may be enlarged. Each socket member includes an extension 18, the periphery of said extension having a series of teeth 19 which extend longitudinally of the extension, the: extension being also provided with a boss or lug 20 adapted to enter the opening 13 of the bearing member to properly position the "socket member within the bearing member. It will also belnoted that a shoulder 21 is formed at the junc-v tion of the extension with the socket member. said shoulder being adapted to engage the edge of the socket member or portion of" the wall 11 of the bearing member so that lateral movement of the socket member is extending laterally of the teeth 18 and inwardly of the outer face of said teeth, the groove being also disposed at the intermediate portion of the extension 18. In the outer end wall of the bearing member, a relatively small threaded opening 23 is provided for the reception of a set screw 24, said screw being adapted to extend through the wall of the bearing member and into the channel 22, to not only retain the socket member within the bearing member, but at the same time permit rotary movement of the handle member or socket member relative to each other.

' so that the teeth 29 of the pawls will extent inwardly toward the extension 13 of the socket member, suitable pintles 32 being passed through the side walls 11 and 12 of the bearing member and through the openings 30 By the use of the two pawls the tool can be operated in either direction or can be locked.

To prevent the pawls from operating simultaneously, when it is desired to rotate the tool in one direction, there is provided novel controlling means comprising a plate 33 having. a shaft 3 1 projecting from its interme diate portion; A spring 35 is intended to surround the shaft 3%, one end of the spring engaging the plate, the opposite end of the spring engaging the extremity of the end portion 8 of the handle, the ends of the plates projecting through the slots 16 of" the bearing member.

In the operation of tile device, the plate 33 is constantly urged into engagement with the ends 28 of the pawls through the medium of the spring. In view of this, by the use of the cam extension 31 the desired pawl may be swung inwardly or outwardly according to the use of the tool. The pressure of the spring on the plate 33 causes said plate to engage the pawl on either side of the cam extension to hold it in its operative or inoperative position so that the pawls may be alternately used. The pawl that is not in use substantially serves as a fulcrum for the adjacent end of the plate 33, as shown in Figure 1, so that the opposite end of the plate may be urged by the spring into engagement with the pawl that is in use to prevent accidental disengagement of the pawl from the teeth of the extension 18. With every handle member, 'a set of socket or jaw members are provided, said socket members being of various sizes. The desired socket member is inserted in the bearing or socket member 10, the body portion of the socket, or that portion of the socket adapted to receive the nut, projecting beyond the bearing member so that the edges of the bearing member 10 engage. the shoulder 20, while the projection 20 extends through the opening 13. The screw 24 is then passed through the wall of the chamber 10 and into the groove 22, so as to permit rotary movement of the socket member, and prevent disengagement of the same from the bearing member. The fingers 28 of the pawls permit the operator to readily adjust the pawls when desired.

From the foregoing it will be readily seen that this invention provides a novel form of wrench capable of being rotated in step by step fashion in either direction, or rotated as a unit, the stepped portion of the handle permitting a firm grip to be obtainedwithout causing the hand of the operator to come in contact with adjacent objects, so that the tool may be used with satisfaction for operating nuts disposed in obscure places.

What is claimed is p I 1. A Wrench of the character described comprising a socket member, a ratchet wrench member rotatable in the socket mem ber, the socket member having a compartment adjacent the wrench member, pawls pivotally mounted in said compartment in spaced relation to each other, each pawl having a cam extension adjacent its pivotal connection, a spring disposed in said compartment, a plate disposed between the spring and the pawls, said plate being arranged to hold one of the pawls in its inactive position, the cam extension of said inactive pawl providing a fulcrum for the plate, said fulcrum coacting with the spring to urge the plate into engagement with the cam extension of the active pawl, and said active pawl into engagement with the tee'tl of the wrench member.

2. Ratchet wrench pawl actuating means embodying a socket member, a ratchet wrench member rotatable in the socket member, a pair of pawls pivoted in the socket member and adapted to engage the ratchet wrench member, the portion of the socket between said pawls being unobstructed, each pawl having a cam extension adjacent its pivotal connection, a plate extending laterally of the space between the pawls, the 1 ids of said plate being supported by the pawls. movement of the plate toward the wrench being limited by the pawls, a springmounted in the socket member and engaged with the plate, said plate being arranged to alternately hold either of the pawls in its active or inactive position, said inactive pawl providing a fulcrum for one end of the plate, the opposite end of the plate being urged unobstructedly by the spring toward and into engagement with the cam extension of the opposite and active pawl.

3. Ratchet wrench pawl actuating means embodying a socket member, a ratchet wrench member rotatable in the socket memher, a pair of pawls pivoted in the socket member in spaced relation to each other, the portion of the socket between and above said pawls being unobstructed, each pawl having a cam extension adjacent its pivotal connection, one face of said extension being disposed substantially flush with the outer side face of the pawl, a plate extending laterally of the space between said pawls, said plate being supported by the pawls, a

rod projecting from the central portion of the plate above the pawls, a spring disposed centrally of the plate, and surrounding said rod, one end of said spring engaging the end of the socket, the ends of the plate being urged unobstructedly into simultaneous engagement with the ends of the pawls by the spring and adapted to alternately hold either of said pawls in its inactive position, said side face and cam extension of the inactive pawl providing fulcrum support for one end of the plate whereby the opposite end of the plate may be moved unobstructedly by the spring into engagement with the end of the active pawl.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

RALPH E. MOYER. 

